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Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

Month: August 2013

It’s mealtime in Springfield, Missouri or Charlotte, North Carolina and you’ve got a decision to make. Should you go to the fast food place and grab a burger or get something else?

Burgers are okay, but they sure get repetitive after a while. By now you’ve probably tried every burger combination known to man. Why not shake things up a bit and go for something outside of the boring old burger box and stop by Nakato Japanese Steakhouse?

Sushi is a great alternative to fast food

Sushi is healthy, nutritious and super delicious. Perhaps you’ve shied away from choosing sushi as a quick meal because you think of it as a fine dining experience. Sushi is actually comfort food that’s good any time of day. Plenty of locals enjoy stopping over at their favorite Japanese steakhouse during mealtime. The sushi bar is just as fabulous in midday as it is in the evening.

Heading out to the sushi bar has become popular among many people that want to stay away from food that is fattening and greasy. Groups of coworkers can often be found eating sushi appetizers with a glass of wine or sake. Most people indulge in a plate of sushi rolls accompanied by tasty Japanese sauces. In Charlotte, eating sushi for dinner is a nice change from standard fare at mealtime.

What about people that are hesitant to go out for sushi because they’ve never tried it before?

Well, there’s a first time for everything. Often when sushi lovers mention a sushi bar to the uninitiated they are met with a wrinkled brow. Some people have a real fear of eating raw fish. The best way to handle this situation is to inform your friend that they are going to be eating at a Japanese steakhouse. They’ll loosen up and realize that they won’t feel so out of place. Steakhouses have an ample menu of sushi and non-sushi food.

Are you curious to try sushi?

Dinnertime is the perfect opportunity to sample some authentic Japanese sushi in a relaxed atmosphere. The key to enjoying the sushi bar for the first time is to stay within your comfort zone. Browse the sushi menu and find foods that are familiar to you. Sushi comes in a lot of different variations. Beginners to sushi easily find several sushi selections that contain combinations of rice and vegetables with tuna or salmon. Fried rolls are another option that features crab or vegetables deep-fried in tempura.

As your taste buds become accustomed to sushi, you’ll feel more comfortable trying sushi made from more exotic seafood such as eel (unagi), octopus (tako), salmon roe (ikura), whitefish (shiromi) or yellowtail (hamachi). You will quickly find out that sushi is much like any other food – you’ll definitely like certain flavors over others.

Looking for a Value Meal?

Sushi is affordable and you can get the most “bang for your buck” by ordering a sushi plate that includes many different items for you to enjoy. For example, assorted sushi trays may include combinations of Nigiri, fish, shashimi or Cali Roll. That kind of variety fills you up without leaving you sluggish. So, next time you’re thinking about grabbing a burger at the drive thru, switch things up and come in for an amazingly good sushi meal that keeps you going strong for the rest of the day.

So the next time you are ready for a dinner break, stop by one of our Nakato Japanese Steakhouse locations in Springfield and Charlotte.

There are plenty of fine dining establishments serving popular American style food such as steak and seafood in Charlotte, NC and Springfield Missouri. A nice alternative to the traditional fine dining experience is the Japanese steakhouse. In Charlotte, Springfield and cities across the United States, Nakato Japanese Restaurant bring a unique twist on meal preparation that is a hybrid of cooking styles from America and Japan.

Chefs in a Japanese steakhouse practice what is known as “Teppanyaki” style cooking. In the Japanese language Teppanyaki means broiling or cooking foods over a hot plate or griddle. When you visit the steakhouse you’ll see each table has a large griddle attached. That’s something you won’t find in other restaurants. This style of Japanese cooking brings diners up close to meal preparation. After you are seated at your table, you’ll have the pleasure of being assigned a chef who will cook your meal on the griddle as you watch. You could say that this is truly an interactive dining experience.

Diners in the United States enjoy eating steak and that is why you’ll find it prominently featured on the menu. In fact, serving steak is what sets the Teppanyaki restaurant apart from traditional Japanese restaurants. Top quality beef dinners include NY Strip steak, Hibachi Steak, Teriyaki Steak and Filet Mignon. These tender cuts of beef are brought directly to the table grill and cooked to perfection according to each diner’s preference. It is hard to stop your mouth from watering as you sit there watching the beef brown and release its savory juices. Every morsel tastes heavenly to a steak lover.

Teppanyaki style cooking isn’t just for steaks. Chefs also prepare fresh chicken, seafood, noodles, rice and vegetables on the grill. A typical meal at a popular Japanese steakhouse may include large jumbo prawn, chicken, scallops, lobster tail, steak, salmon, calamari and any number or Japanese style appetizers. Vegetarians delight in a hearty vegetable dinner that may include fried tofu. Diners that want more traditional Japanese food may order fresh sushi from the sushi bar. This combination of American food done with Japanese flair is what most people love about these steakhouses.

Of course, a discussion about Teppanyaki cooking is not complete without mentioning the entertainment factor. Your personal chef is there to entertain you as well as serve up a scrumptious meal. The chef handles his cooking tools with an expertise that rivals any stage performer. He places the meat on the grill and works his magic as it sizzles. Meat is seasoned, tossed in sauce and sliced if needed. Cooked food is served up immediately.

The chef’s sharp knife blade and handy spatula are used to chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces. He may choose to make a face out of your rice, which puts a smile on everyone’s face. Some items are tossed in the air and caught with precision moves worthy of an NBA player. Watching a chef play around with eggs is highly amusing. Meals prepared the Teppanyaki way seem to taste much better for some reason. Visit your local Nakato Japanese Steakhouse for a truly memorable dining experience.